Golden Pass is investing $10 billion to build a liquefied natural gas plant in Sabine Pass. Additionally, they would like to raise the bar to create opportunities they haven’t created before.

Robert Bilnoski, vice president for human resources, and McDonald Carheel, president of Carheel Consulting, spoke to the Hispanic Business Council on Thursday afternoon at the Carl A. Parker Multipurpose Center at Lamar State College Port Arthur about a workforce development initiatives overview, also known as an Opportunity Road Map.

When this proposal was first started, 209 new companies were added to a prescreened list for new projects. Since these businesses were prescreened, they were given priority in bids as local companies. A workforce development program was also established at Memorial High School and Sabine Pass High School.

Bilnoski said the students were wide-eyed with excitement when they heard about the initiative.

A Golden Pass flyer read: “The proposed Golden Pass Products LNG export project is expected to create thousands of construction jobs and hundreds of permanent jobs,” it read. “It would also generate economic gains in many industries
including retail, construction, manufacturing, business services and transportation. Golden Pass is committed to helping local residents and businesses be a part of the growth.”

The program phases are operations readiness, construction and operations.

Bilnoski said they would like to take this initiative to Port Arthur, Jefferson County, and beyond to the region, particularly since Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana is the LNG capital for the nation.

“This initiative can go on for a long time,” he said. “There’s more than a generation of jobs here that are about to be ready. This third phase is larger; why can’t we be the center for LNG expertise in the heart of Jefferson County? We have the expertise.”

Carheel said he has done similar work in Lake Charles and said, “These methods are tried and true and they have been tested. In fact, I see more opportunity here than I did in Louisiana.

“It’s the community we need to lean on to be successful.”

Bilnoski said of the Fresh Start Initiative, someone may have had a misdemeanor in their past that prevents them from getting hired by industry. They may become discouraged and not even apply. The initiative places them under a career counselor who encourages the enrollee and guides them through the process.

For example, four enrollees enter the 15-week long welder program. Three of them passed and most of them are making more than $30 an hour.

“It’s all about getting your foot in the door,” Bilnoski said. “This thing is broader than Port Arthur.”

Jesus Figueroa said 20 years ago you would only see a handful of Hispanics working in refineries. Now, there are so many Hispanics, refineries can’t operate without them.

“And we need more,” he said.